Envoys to tell EU that Russia violating peace deal
(TBILISI) - EU fact finders said Friday they would tell the European Union that Russia is in violation of a ceasefire deal in Georgia.
The group of Belgian parliamentarians was to present a report to French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose country holds the EU presidency, ahead of Monday's emergency EU summit on the conflict in Georgia.
Anne-Marie Lizin, a Belgian senator, told journalists that Russian "peacekeepers" had expanded a buffer zone around the disputed South Ossetia region by at least 15 kilometres (nine miles).
"We have seen them as peacekeepers in not the normal places," she said. "They are trying to create a de facto situation quickly before Monday's summit."
Another member of the delegation, parliament deputy Jean-Louis Crucke, said the Russian presence seemed incompatible with peacekeeping. "It's not a control, not a checkpoint -- it's a camp."
Lizin said the "credibility" of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was on the line, given that he had signed a French-brokered peace plan requiring Russian and Georgian forces to pull back to positions held before the fighting earlier this month.
The parliamentarians said they would recommend the EU take measures to support Georgia.
"We are trying to find positive proposals for Georgia and visa-free travel is one of these," said Lizin, who is also OSCE Parliamentary Assembly vice president.
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